Fuelled by anime... otaku alert!

Well... Autumn reared its head at us today with the breezy, chilled air and sunny skies with big poofy clouds floating about like romping bunnies in a blue field.
And... no one was spending money.
So as much as we LOVED (as usual) our Wyetti Market day, we didn't make many sales, but got some kids in to learn how to make their own wire wrap bracelets... the creations were wild and totally off the wall. No limits to creativity ;)

So, with hugs and love from 4 very wonderful people in my life - and also great supporters of Wonder Struck Inc, I did thoroughly survive the day of no sales with smiles and laughs.

With a 2 week gap between now and our next market at the Henley Arms Night Market, we're giving everyone of our online spies a 20% discount of all our listed stock, on our facebook and on our Etsy (which you'll have to type a code in for on checkout:  APRILFOOLS2012) this 20% off is for the 1st of April *ONLY*

...but now that the day is over from markets, and smiles and eating and sunshining...
We're rounding up with anime (loads of new Fairy Tail, Naruto Shippuuden and Bleach going on the old media player), while putting the head down and getting paperwork done and sorted.
Yay...

so, fuelled on a constant run and go between of anime, we hope you're all resting peacefully before its back to work on Monday.

hoo hah!

~Zoo~

Change...of Season

Driving out of the Vaal this morning towards Johannesburg... I was just overcome by roadsides and fields of burnt oranges dotted with whites and pinks of cosmos...fresh after last night's storm.
The Suikerbosrand Reserve hung under a blanket of low lying clouds and the chill in the air hung about the silhouettes of tall evergreens reaching up to dark grey skies.
Just...wow.

And again I'm reminded why I moved back to the Vaal...why no where else in Gauteng feels like home and why I want Wonder Struck Inc based here.
A seriously misunderstood paradise...

Sigh

But...with the cosmos reminding us that Autumn is soon here...also comes our last Summer market at Wyetti.
We'll be stocking gloves from next month, and scarves and we'll be lighting the little fires around the market too.....
How great does that sound?!

Also....the last day for 10% off everything in our Etsy store...is the day of the market.
I might have to put the store into vacation mode for Saturday incase Etsy stuff sells at the market.
We're taking EVERYTHING with to the market...including new hairclips made with skully ribbons!

And hopefully this cold that I've recently acquired won't down me this weekend with so much planned.
Ergh.

Onward to a positive Thursday...

~Zoo~

In the background...

As you look through our blog... Wonder Struck Inc is evidently a small little collective of crafty happenings, but there's things to share besides the crafty goodness...

I'm a diehard metalhead (I won't profess to be a hardcore Slayer fan, but I'm a metalhead nonetheless).
And along with all that happens during Wonder Struck Inc...music (and anime) make up a huge part of the creative process.

One of the many bands that hold a special place in my music collection is Opeth (yes, yes, Blackwater Park)...but there is an album less spoken of that I keep with me even in my car for the near 10 hours a day I spend in it.

Damnation, one of the most bitterly beautiful albums you could treat yourself to.
The blissful heart tuggings I feel while listening to any track on this album makes me swoon.

Hope you find it just as haunting as I do...and that you'll be listening while its playing here too, during Wonder Struck creative sessions ;)

Peace and love...

Fuelled by coffee...

Its a week of countdowns as we head back to markets and end discount promotions.

You have FIVE DAYS left of our 10% off discount voucher on Etsy: HAVE10OFF
And... just SIX DAYS till our next Wyetti Market.

There's SO MUCH new stock, mostly OOAK pieces but some of the newer "repeat" stock is going to be showing its face at this next market at Wyetti, and then...onto our Etsy store.

We are at least getting some time in to do some admin stuff (yuck), while heading to a far better organised system for our market ... this could also have to do with the fact that we had a public holiday during this last week, adding 1 more full day onto our work time *ha!*

Then... we're trying to get some "likes" added onto our Facebook page and some more followers on our Twitter ...all this social networking is just that...

... and today I, zoo, got a chance to practice all these real life social skills I've developed over the years, by hanging out with a very awesome Maruschka, soon to be Wonder Struck Inc and Squareheads' model.
Yay!
We were drinking cocktails, talking to random people with babies, trying to bribe dogs of different shapes and sizes to come sit by us and just generally being joyously happy at the escape from real life for a few hours.
I know I can't wait to do some photo shoots with this mad budding graphic designer/artist, and I can't wait for our stores to grow with her help and yours!

We learn as we go along and eventually we're going to find a pretty comfy spot to do all this in...
unlike the hard chairs in badly lit corners of overly warm, tiny rooms at 1am's, fuelled on coffee and flowing creative thoughts, that we currently operate on. *sigh*
Dedication man, dedication.

now... to go update you on some news on the Squareheads project ;) .... follow me!

A little bit of interest...

As I sit at my desk (functioning purely on 3 hours of Saturday morning sleep and 2 cups of coffee FOR THE DAY), I have to be excited about the 2 or so arrivals of new stock components... and the new stock thats being made!

...the excitement might also include the fact that I finally got a new mouse for my notebook. Its red and shiny.

But besides that.
I will be working on putting together stock that can be repeated, even if not EXACTLY, it'll still all be made/put together/broken/recreated by me or Wonder Struck Inc friends.
But for March (and our Wyetti market this month) we still have stacks and stacks of OOAK (one of a kind) pieces in stock.

Resin unicorn cameo in resin setting, with 2 dyed agate beads on chain - necklace

We are swimming in cameo necklaces right now (crushing so hard on it all) and... ribbon hairclips!
Oh yes... we were hairclip mad about a year ago, but stopped making when market people showed no interest, but recently we've just been swamped with queries for our hairclips. So I've knuckled down today and made 8 pairs of totally new OOAK hair clips.

Rhinestone key pendant and dyed agate - necklace

Also, just ordered some more pocket watches! I did a test order on one and I've been arguing with myself about taking it for me! That...is how awesome it is.
With this slow set of changes I'm making for Wonder Struck Inc, I hope you'll enjoy what is in store ;)

Pocket watches now in stock. 3cm diameter.

Matching silver chain, as either a necklace or traditional pocket chain - R130 (in South Africa excluding postage)

Take it off! ...10% at least

Everything has just been so crazy, but I eventually got around to loading our 10% off coupon code on our Etsy.
On checkout the coupon code is - HAVE10OFF
It'll even apply to any new lsitings I put up during March, so go get some discount!

Alot of the new stock will have more crystals and glass and semi-precious beads, like our key inspired necklace with 5 dyed agate beads and a rhinestone blinged out key pendant.
(R80 including postage in South Africa)

Please keep in mind that no 2 crystals (dyed or natural) will look identical, not even dyed agate. Though we try use the closest matching ones in pieces like this.

(Due to some technical issue (our photos not wanting to load correctly) we can't show you any new goodies on this blog post, but they are on our Etsy store now)

What a weekend! ...

Well... our one and ONLY "down the rabbit hole" necklace was sold this weekend along with the ring we made to match it (but didn't list).
We've "de-activated" Down The Rabbit hole on our Etsy for now.
We've just had a swarm of unexpected sales this weekend...and this week is going to be spent making more stock for a "ladies tea" this Saturday.
And we thought it would be a quiet month ;)
 

Strangeness and charm...

Well... anyone who attended the Wyetti Market had a ball of a time. As dismal as sales were, it was just such a beautiful day and we got rained out in the final hour.
Ha!

Tonight we'll be at the Henley Arms for their monthly night market (drunk people and money)

Some of our newer pieces will be on our table as well as our 50% off stock.
ONLY for those buying directly from our table, this 50% off will be available via this blog from tomorrow morning.

We'll also be running a celebratory 10% off from tomorrow morning till the end of March on our Etsy ...in happiness of my stepmother's birthday this month and pre-easter goodness.

Hope you'll take advantage ;)